Winter Motorcycle Gear that’s Cheap and Works

I’ve been doing winter motorcycle riding for a few winters now, and while my tolerance for the extremes will wax and wane with my mood and the amount of snow on the ground, I think I have a pretty good handle on things.

Having good winter motorcycle gear is of utmost importance. Here’s a brief overview of what works for me.

A full-face or modular helmet. I think I’m favoring the full face helmet at this point. I did two winters with a regular full face helmet and I noticed a lot less air/cold leakage. However, it’s a great deal easier to deal with glasses if you’re using a modular helmet. Expect to spend $50 to $200 or more for a decent one.

Snowmobile suit. Hindsight is 20/20. All those days and nights of wearing 5 or 6 pairs of pants, layered with jeans, sweatpants, leggings, and longjohns were wasted. I could have spent less time getting in and out of those by using a snowmobile suit. My current one is an off-the-rack cheapie (it cost less than any others at the shop) but it still ran me $80. I should have gotten a smaller one made for short people. I have to use bungee cords around my feet to keep the pants there.

Great gloves. I layered gloves like I layered my sweatpants before. Now that I have my Olympia Weatherking gloves I’m confident that I should have invested in them sooner. Mine ran around $50 (with a 50% off discount for signing up to review them).

Insulated boots. Doc Martens are great and classy, but when that cold air hits for a long time, you’ll want some steel-toed, waterproof insulated boots. You can go cheap with the $20 ones at WalMart or you can get really nice ones. Regardless, it’ll be better than regular boots.

Women’s stretch leggings. The ones that say Danskin and stuff. You want these. They’re cheap versions of the athletic gear you’ll find for like $50 a pop everywhere else. Choose to spend $15 instead. Get the ones that are full length and stay close to the body. Go for a size smaller than you think you need.

Reflective Vest. Nobody is anticipating that they’ll see a motorcycle rider out today. Do yourself a favor and get more visible. Maybe $10? Cheaper at a thrift shop.

Still have cash?

If you saved some money then go ahead and spend some on heated winter motorcycle gear.

Heated gear is absolutely amazing. I used to think it was just for the weaker of the bikers out there, but I was wrong. I can now travel further and for longer than I imagined. Opt for used gear you can find on eBay, Craigslist, local Facebook markets, and garage sales. I got my set from a friend for $50.